Leadership Lessons- Part One: Loving to Lead

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. - Martin Luther King

I’ve always felt like a leader. In my Girl Scout days, I was the tallest; therefore, I was in charge. When I started cheerleading, it just made sense that I was Captain. When I entered the work force as a Leasing Consultant, it was just months before I was tasked with training other Leasing Consultants and less than a year before I was managing them. In business, I’ve been in a “titled” leadership position since I was 19 years old! Being a leader is position I don’t take lightly by the way... I love to lead and I think I’m pretty good at it. But where it starts, I believe, is actually loving the role of a leader and taking it very seriously (ok, with a whole lot of fun mixed it).

Since it seems I’ve always been looked at as leader, it took me a long time to figure out why I so naturally slid into this role, in practically every situation I was faced with. And then it hit me…

I genuinely care about the success of others, my business and myself.

Think about it, what do leaders do? In my opinion (and opinions can vary greatly, depending on your style); a leader is someone who others strive to be, they set the example, they tackle situations with a results oriented approach, instead of problems they only see solutions, leaders push their team to reach their maximum potential by giving them the authority and support to make decisions, they’re continually coaching and provide on-time feedback, leaders help their team members understand the details of the business or project and win them to their way of thinking, and finally leaders are also there to handle the tough topics head on and help their team leaders to handle theirs as well.  

What leaders also do is see the big picture related to the success of their business. They consider ways that they might be more efficient, how they might better spend money, what they need to get the department or company to the next level, they’re capable of retaining their team because they are helping each and every one of them grow and develop, they don’t just understand their business and do their job they actually help to shape the business and their role, leaders have a genuine interest in the business being as successful as possible… regardless of what department, within the organization, they lead.

With regard to themselves, leaders actively seek out ways that they can improve because they know it will only improve everything they touch, they aren’t above you or below you… they’re right there alongside you.

Leading, really isn’t for everyone. It’s not just about taking the helm and directing projects or people, it’s about developing people, inspiring others to do their best work, seeing things from a global perspective, winning others to your way of thinking, setting the bar, being the example and loving to do it.

Do you love to lead? What is your idea of a great leader? 

This is me during my Girl Scout days... I'm the really tall one in the back!